Global Thinking in Science Education

 What do you remember about science in elementary, middle school and high school? I remember sitting in the back of a classroom taking notes and then memorizing parts of plants, animals and humans. Every once in a while we would dissect a frog or have a science fair but generally class was boring and in the end I remember very little from all those hours of memorization. I believe that students need to feel connected to what they are studying. They should also be involved in the process of deciding what they are studying and investigating and encouraged to make a difference in the world around them. As part of our science curriculum we plan on using the Global Thinking Project to help engage students in authentic science inquiries where they will also be given the chance to make an impact on the Austin Community. 

Click on the red to visit global thinking sites!

"The Global Thinking Project was based on an authentic model of learning in which students and teachers work together to solve real problems in their own community, and by means of the collaborative nature of the Internet, interact with peers in other countries. In a study of authenticity as an important idea in science teaching, researchers make a valuable contribution to our understanding as reported in this study: The Value of an Emergent Notion of Authenticity: Examples from Two Student/Teacher-Scientist Partnership Programs. As these researchers conclude, after an analysis of two authentic science programs, authenticity remains an important concept that can help us think of science teaching in ways if understood as emergent. It leads to a science education that has something to do with the real world of students, and is meaningful to them."

Chart taken from the art of teaching science website please visit this site for more information on the Global Thinking Project